A Tuesday evening at the Unwin saw the arrival of league leaders Dereham Town. it’s a cool evening but reasonable for football and the magpies are here for the points to cement their top spot. Games between the Robins and the Magpies are normally lively affairs and this was to be no exception in fact it became a bit ‘angry birds’ very early on.
Ely started well, on 3 minutes Porky Claydon headed the ball into the path of Luke Parkinson who took it on the run into the box but his shot was wide. Three minutes later it was the visitors, Kenny Smith tried to let a ball run out for a goal kick but a Dereham player nipped in behind him and got down the bye line pulled the ball back and Lee Pacey did well to block the initial shot. Dereham got in two more shots but these were blocked by defenders and the danger was averted.
On 8 minutes Darren Coe was adjudged to have fouled Derehams Bramment near the touchline near the halfway line. This led to a scuffle (I’m not going to say more) both players were red carded and as they went into the tunnel more scuffles involving a number of people (again I am not getting into the rights and wrongs of it) This led to an 18 minute suspension of the game
The game restarted, 10 men each, a Dereham free kick where it started, the free kick is cleared and we are back to football again. The next 10 minutes was fairly even, a 25 yard effort from Kenny Smith that was well wide was about all there was. On 19 minutes (actual play) Ben Lawrence saw yellow. It was mainly long balls from both sides but no actual danger. On 30 minutes the visitors had a chance from a corner but it was headed over at the back stick. On 33 minutes Luke Parkinson again got in on the run but the Magpies keeper did very well to turn his fierce shot round the post from the corner. Luke took this and found Ben Lawrence’s head but the header sailed over the bar. It was Ely who were now in the ascendancy and on 39 minutes they took the lead. It was another corner out on the left swung in deep and there was Adam Murray coming in from deep at the back. His powerful header went straight into the net giving the keeper no chance. 1 - 0
It was still Ely a free kick was cleared to Josh Curry just outside the box but his snap shot was wide, Porky Claydon was very strong down the right, holding off two defenders before getting into the box but the shot was straight at the keeper. A cross from the left Porky flicks it on, it drops to Richard Chadwick’s feet 5 yards out but the ball was taken off his toe before he could poke it into the net. The half ended with the visitors having consecutive corners but it was the Robins who went in with a goal lead
It was Dereham who started the 2nd period brightly and the Ely defenders had to be alive to a couple of dangerous moves but it was in fact Ely who had the best early chance. A good cross came in and Porky climbed highest, flicked his header goal wards but the visitors keeper did ever so well to turn it over the bar. On 55 minutes it was Dereham’s Hawkins who got to the bye line but his shot from an acute angle hit the foot of the post. It should have been a warning to the Robins that the Magpies meant business but it wasn’t heeded and on 57 minutes they equalised. A carbon copy of the Ely goal saw Gusterson powerfully head home from a corner to make it 1 - 1
On 59 minutes Sam Parkinson saw yellow from a very fussy Ref. Dereham were now in the ascendancy but again it was long balls. On 72 minutes, different, Dereham played some good ball got it to the right, the wide man did well, got to the line drilled it across the 6 yard box but his onrushing team-mate could only stab it wide.
On 76 minutes Josh Bridgeman was replaced by Ian Walters but 4 minutes later it was game to Dereham. Midfielder Borrer made a powerful run down the centre of the pitch wriggled his way through a couple of tackles before getting into the box and placing a shot past Pace
Into the net 1 - 2
Taz Chisango replaced Luke Parkinson on 85 minutes but the game was basically over with Dereham happily playing to hold on to what they had and Ely unable to come back into it. After 90 minutes played all I will say was that it was an eventful evening.